Changed.

4 days ago, I stepped off the plane from San José, Costa Rica changed. I was different. I wasn't the same Elizabeth that I was when I arrived to Costa Rica. The Lord had worked tremendously in my life, and I accepted His new type of love with open arms. When I landed in Atlanta, Georgia Sunday morning, I was caught in a whirlwind of emotions. I was exhausted, confused, sad, and most of all, I was changed. No matter what other emotions I felt, I knew my heart was different.

My heart had spent eight days in a country with a majority of its population in poverty. My heart went to places I never thought it would go. Seeing families living in shacks, kids locked in their homes behind barbed wire, and experiencing love from kids who only get it from our Heavenly Father made me breathless. I felt spoiled standing with a group of kids that wore the same thing to school every single day. They didn't complain, whine, ask to go buy a new wardrobe or to even get their clothes washed. Instead, they smiled. They walked with a since of pride in knowing that they were loved. Loved so deeply and so profoundly by a Father who loves like no other. The way the children were so joyful and happy no matter what was going on in their home life, made me question the way I sometimes act when I am ungrateful.

It was a week in Costa Rica that reminded me how much I take for granted. Electricity, water, food... I know I'll wake up tomorrow and each one of the things that I listed will be there. I'll eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'll brush my teeth, wash my face, and take a hot shower. I expect those things to be there, so there's not a day that goes by that I take time to be thankful for them. But guess what.. 3,000 miles away there is a country with over 2 million people who barely have any of the three things I listed. There are families who are lucky to have three meals a day. There are kids who are filthy and covered in dirt from weeks past. Not all families have the life we expect them to have. We are blessed. So extremely blessed.

I never knew that eight days in another country could do so much in my life. The Lord showed me more than I ever thought He could, and I am beyond grateful. I say this all of the time, but Our God is good. So so good. His love is pure and ongoing for eternity. His presence is perfect and real. His timing is flawless. There is nothing that could ever compare to the greatness of our God. This past week, my heart had no boundaries. I let The Lord soak and pour into my heart until I knew He had changed me, filling me with a new type of love. A love that I could give to anyone and everyone, regardless of what they have been through.

When I allowed The Lord to work miraculously in my life, I became different. I let go of who I was and have fully embraced who I am. Without Jesus, I would be nothing, but with Him, I am changed.